ABSTRACT
Victorious in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–5, Japan expanded its colonial empire and reveled in its newly achieved status as one of the five great powers of the world. The industrial revolution that had begun in the early Meiji era appeared to be nearing success. But the Japanese people remained burdened with the increased taxes that had been levied during the war so that the foreign loans made to help finance the conflict could be repaid and the expenditure on industrial, transport and social infrastructure that had been suspended during the conflict could be resumed. Meeting that tax burden caused hardship in the Japanese countryside and led to financial and administrative paralysis in many rural communities, as well as to greater tensions between landlords and tenant farmers. It was at this time that the Japanese government announced the local improvement movement (chihō kairyō undō) to effect widespread change in provincial (especially rural) Japan and create a local population willing and able to support the needs of the emerging Japanese Empire.
